Wasps

[Andy Burns]

Over the past few days I noticed there were always few wasps hanging around outside an upstairs window, so suspected they might be nesting in the loft, they don't bother me too much so didn't track them down or nuke them.

Found today they they are getting in at the corner of a window, a constant traffic of wasps in or out every few seconds, unfortunately it's a window I'm intending to replace in the next few weeks, so would like to persuade them to leave ...

I've blocked the hole up with blu-tack, for about an hour the returning ones were a bit confused and not exactly swarming around, but certainly a small cloud of them, now some of them seem to be going off looking for other places (I've kept windows all closed!)

How long before they give up? then I can let out the ones that will be trapped inside somewhere ...

[Tim Streater]

I concreted the entrance to a nest in the ground a couple of years ago, thinking "That should cement their friendship". They were confused for a day or two and I didn't see them after that.

[Mark]

If you can live with the wasps for a few months then do nothing. Wasps abandon their nests at the end of the autumn and do not return.

Otherwise buy some wasp killer and follow the instructions.

[fred]

Many years ago we had a wasps nest at the side of a balcony. I removed it but a year later I noticed a few wasps still hanging around !

[Andy Burns]

I've just had a look at them, they seem to have formed a committee to decide if they like the taste of blu-tack ... if they disperse I presume they can't join another nest, so are condemned anyway ...

[Andy Burns]

Yes, I realise they won't stay, I had some two years ago and left them to it, but as I mentioned I'll be replacing the window they've been using the corner of as their door.

No hope of them feeling unwelcome and leaving?

[Andrew Gabriel]

I don't believe a nest can move (unlike bees).

[Scott M]

Won't be long before they abandon the nest anyway (now is when it generally starts happening), leave them be(e) and they'll be gone by the time the tuit turns up.

[Mrs Bonk]

They will do their utmost to get in/out including eating through walls or finding other more easily accessed places. This happened to a relative a few weeks ago. She had to call the wasp disposal squad who told her the worst thing she could have done was block their hole.

[Piers]

Personally I'd try squeezing off a bunch of wasp nest killer foam into the hole. At night. And maybe get SWMBO to do it.

[Peter Crosland]

Wasps nests die out in Autumn and are not reused. Only the mated queens survive and overwinter elsewhere. A new nest is started from scratch. Unless they are causing a real problem they are best left alone. Wasps eat all sorts of garden pests so they are the good guys unless you aggravate them!

[robgraham]

As Peter says they do eat some garden pests - wasps are not vegetarians lik e bees. The other points about dying off soon and only the queens hibernat ing, etc. are correct too; this is similar to bumble bees.

We now get to the but ... not at this time of year when all the breeding ha s been done and no high protein food is required for grubs. This is why wa sps are more of a nuisance now as they are free to go off and enjoy life lo oking for the sweet things in life to eat. They are the bane just now of t he beekeeper's life (that's me) as they are stronger than bees and can easi ly kill out a weak hive to steal the honey.

I could well imagine them forcing another way out. Unlike bees fortunately , you being in proximity to the access hole doesn't stimulate an attack, so getting some powder onto the landing platform is quite easy and will be ca rried into the nest to kill it off.

Rob

[Andy Burns]

Well these ones decided they didn't like to eat blu-tack, I also sprayed around (but not into) their old entrance with RAID and they soon stopped trying to use that way in, they now appear to have found a different way into the loft under the edge of the tiles, that suits me fine ...

[Peter Crosland]

Thanks for that Rob. I was not aware of their attacking bee hives. As for putting a wasp next destroyer into the entrance this is best until after dark when they are not flying.

[Gefreiter Krueger]

Take great delight in spraying them one by one with insect killer. Wasps die within seconds unlike spiders. Or if there are many, hoover them up then suck up half a can of insect spray to follow them. It worked for me with minor bees.